The blogosphere is aghast today at this article from the New York Post: “I’m 124 Sandwiches Away from an Engagement Ring.” Basically, Stephanie Smith’s boyfriend (a professional chef, mind you) would always ask her to make him a sandwich, declaring that homemade sandwiches were an expression of love. Stephanie wasn’t a cook, but after a year of near-daily requests, she finally made him a simple turkey-and-cheese. Finishing the sandwichy gift, he said to her, “Honey, you’re only 300 sandwiches away from an engagement ring!”

Ha ha ha, right? But Stephanie’s clock was ticking and she wanted to get married, so she thought, Why not? And thus, a blog was born: 300sandwiches.com. Photos of each and every sandwich she makes, from simple meat and cheese to breakfast sandwiches to ice cream sandwiches…and she’s really working to squeeze in all 300 in time! She’s up to #176 as of today.

Now, I imagine she meant this as a cute extension of an in-joke she shared with her hopefully-husband-to-be — or maybe she just wants to be the next Julie & Julia — but all over the internet, women responded with outrage to the Post writeup, calling Smith’s relationship archaic, demeaning, even abusive. The thought of trading sandwich-making for a ring struck many as a form of domestic slavery, or a sign that her guy was never going to commit.

What do you think? Has Smith discovered the recipe for marital success? Or is she (if you’ll forgive the pun) a few sandwiches short of a picnic?

As someone who lives in a tiny apartment in Long Island City, I sympathized with Julie Powell's struggles while she cooked her way through Julia Child's masterwork. Mind you, I stick to delivery! But I still think this is a terrific read.

XOXO After Dark offers the best in romance, urban fantasy and women’s fiction. From free full-length books to contests to XXXO!’s scorching hot posts, we hope dedicated genre fans will find lots to do.